Thursday, July 26, 2012

WASHINGTON (AFNS) — Here’s a simple truth...sexual offenders reject our core values of integrity, service and excellence, in favor of following their own base, undisciplined, criminal desires. Most sexual assaults committed by Airmen are “blue on blue,” or Airmen victimizing other Airmen. So in addition to rejecting our core values, these undisciplined Airmen reject the Wingman concept that we prize in the Air Force. They represent a direct threat to unit morale, good order, and discipline. They degrade combat readiness but with the combined efforts of command, law enforcement, and our team of prosecutors, they will be held accountable. Together, as a team, we will protect other Airmen and protect our strength and combat readiness as the world’s greatest Air Force.

Detecting and prosecuting sexual assault is our priority. Recently, we posted on the internet significant Air Force sexual assault prosecutions. The posting may be found here: http://www.afjag.af.mil/sexualassaultprosecution/index.asp. As you can tell from a quick review of this information, we will prosecute sexual offenders anywhere they are found. From reviewing these cases, you can see sexual assault in the Air Force carries substantial penalties.

Our partners in AFOSI thoroughly investigate each allegation to provide commanders with timely, accurate, and prosecutable evidence. They pass the ball to commanders, who call upon my team to prosecute the offender to the maximum extent allowed under law.

Our team of prosecutors is better than any you will see in the civilian community or on TV. I have 17 highly skilled senior trial prosecutors, who are selected from among hundreds of judge advocates for their top notch trial skills. They have the very best trial skills in the Air Force JAG Corps. They prosecute the Air Force’s most serious courts-martial. Seven of my senior trial prosecutors have been identified as “Special Victim Unit (SVU)” prosecutors, due to their training and experience in combating sexual assault. They are dedicated to bringing justice to victims of sexual assault and ensuring commanders are able to appropriately hold offenders accountable.

In the typical case we prosecute, the accused Airman exploits his victim’s intoxicated state to commit the sexual assault. We are very effective in prosecuting these offenders, and the law encourages us to prosecute Airmen who use alcohol to facilitate sexual assault of substantially incapacitated victims. Prosecuting this kind of case is one of our core specialties.

The Air Force has done a great job training Airmen about respecting other Airmen and not sexually abusing their fellow Airmen. Training can reach many Airmen who might be tempted to commit this crime. For others, who cannot be persuaded by training, my team, the Senior Trial Prosecutors - Special Victims Unit, stands at the ready to vindicate the victims.

Garbage cans and dumpsters aren’t particularly appealing to people. In fact, most people could present dozens of compelling reasons to avoid venturing into trash receptacles. Reasons such as the foul stench of decayed food, bodily wastes, and the pests they attract. Garbage can also host dangerous materials like nails, sharp edges of aluminum or rusted metals that can cut and cause infections. Handling garbage is so repugnant to most people, that a lot of them pay other people to dispose of their trash for them. Yes, the debate of whether or not to handle trash or dumpster dive appears one-sided; however, a couple of deployed Airmen from Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., found out that by digging through trash, they can possibly save a life.

The phrase operations security is heard often in the military, but Airmen 1st Class Kaylee Clark and Rachel Hutson, deployed with the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, have taken a master’s course in OPSEC while working with the Force Protection flight.

“We escort third country nationals on base with their garbage trucks so they collect and dump the trash,” said Clark in an email. “Before they can dump it, we have to climb into the dumpster and look for any OPSEC material.”

The number of OPSEC violations found by the FP flight is staggering, said Clark.

Last month they found more than 1,900 violations and this month they have found more than 600, she said.

At Little Rock, Clark is a still photographer, and Hutson is an outpatient records technician. Both were tasked with augmentee deployments, and both said the chance to funnel through garbage, although not a glorious job, has given them a better appreciation for the importance of OPSEC.

“I never thought looking in a dumpster would be necessary but I try to tell myself everyday that we could potentially be saving lives,” said Clark.

“Personnel may think it’s just a piece of paper you are throwing in the trash but as they say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” said Hutson.

Some of the “treasure” found by the deployed Airmen includes 82 pages of the expeditionary base’s recall rosters and multiple pages of flight information. Such things could provide critical information to enemies, said Greg Call, 19th Airlift Wing Operations Security program manager.

“We don’t know where the adversary comes from,” said Call. “They can come from anywhere. Recall rosters with contact information and locations are a huge vulnerability.”

Practicing good OPSEC starts at the home station, said Call. Poor habits with trash and garbage at home will undoubtedly travel with the Airmen when they deploy. Airmen that don’t protect critical information at home won’t do so when they deploy.

A priority on practicing good OPSEC at home is one of the reasons why Little Rock implemented a 100 percent shred policy for critical information. Yet, it’s not just critical information that service members should be conscious of, said Call.

“Plain, everyday, unclassified information makes up 90 percent of the information gathered by adversaries,” said Call. “So while protecting critical information is important, it’s equally as important to practice good OPSEC with unclassified material.”

For deployed Airmen, practicing good OPSEC can be as easy as emptying out the pockets of their uniforms before washing them, and properly disposing of documents with important information on them, like recall rosters.

While Airmen like Clark and Hutson can find a lot of these violations, it’s impossible to find everything.

The Airmen said they are happy to know they could be saving lives by scouring dumpsters, but the job is still kind of gross. A normal duty day involves getting inside of things that most people wouldn’t voluntarily go near.

“When I say climb into dumpsters I mean we literally get inside of a dumpster and rip open trash bags,” said Clark.

The crew is provided appropriate equipment and sanitizer, said Clark. But gloves, steel-toed boots and rubbing alcohol aren’t enough to suppress the disgust in finding urine in a bottle, or human waste in a box, or a used pregnancy test.

Still, Clark said she understands that while the job may be messy, it’s necessary and important.

“OPSEC violations don’t only affect the person making them, but possibly the whole AOR,” said Clark. “If the violation has your home address it could also affect your family and friends.”

The importance of teaching OPSEC is common at their expeditionary base, the deployed Airmen said. When violations are discovered, the crew logs them and sends the information to the First Sergeants, and sometimes the squadron or even wing Commander.

“Some individuals have actually had to ride with us on our routes and shadow us,” said Clark. “We like to call it ‘OPSEC training’.”

Replacing a power-point slide show with a hands-on tutorial involving submersion into dumpsters proves effective “training,” said Clark.

“I think next time they will be more careful and check their garbage for OPSEC more than once,” she said.

Friday, July 20, 2012

For military or non-military parents working on Little Rock Air Force Base, the 19th Force Support Squadron offers two Child Development Centers for children ranging from the ages of six weeks to five years old.

The hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The two centers are located at buildings 1257 and 1990. The prices will differ by the household income and the centers charge by the week, said Denise Gregory, a child development program technician.

Each month the centers offer one Saturday where parents get the opportunity to “get a break” from their child for a couple of hours.

An approval letter must be granted before the parents can use the “Give Parents a Break” program, and it can be approved through their first sergeant, Family Advocacy, the base chaplain or the center itself.

“Give Parents a Break” is done once a month for parents who have children enrolled in the centers, said Gregory. This program is offered to military members with children enrolled in the center.

Staff Sgt. Lakeisha West, 19th Airlift Wing command section executive administrator and parent to five year old Jayla, who attends the center, said the program is awesome.

“I used (the “Give Parents a Break program”) when my daughter was younger,” West said. “I am a single parent so that helped so much.”

Both centers offer referrals to therapy for the children that need it while they stay at the CDC, and it’s only offered during the school year, said Gregory.

The Military and Family Life Consultant is another option for anyone who needs to talk off the record. It is there for the caretakers at work and the parents who have anything to ask about parenting or deployed stresses, said Gregory.

Some of the extra programs for the deployed spouses are an extra “Give Parents a Break” each month, the MFLC, and the center also sends pictures to deployed spouses, said Gregory.

If someone needs to bring a child back to the center after returning from deployment, the center’s facility workers can work to get that person back in to the system.The center keeps the children on a routine with plenty of activities. The children start with breakfast, following circle time, (gathering time to play, sing, or read a book), then snacks, free play (the curriculum they are teaching), lunch, more free play (outside if the weather allows), snack, naps, and then they prepare to go home.

Another great thing about the center is that most of the caretakers have been there for approximately 30 years, so they’re very familiar with taking care of children and are very knowledgeable, said Gregory.

For more information or questions about putting your child into either CDC on base, contact Roveta Simmons, the CDC director, or Gregory at 987-6130. The base MFLC can be contacted at 242-1816.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

A free one-year membership in Military Officers Association of America is available for active, reserve, & National Guard officers who are not prior members. Contact Central Arkansas Chapter Secretary (cacmoaa@aol.com).

THE COMBAT AIRLIFTER CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT will take ads by phone from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday 982-9421, or you may mail your ad to 404 Graham Rd., Jacksonville, Ark. 72078. You may also e-mail them to combatairlifterclassifieds@arkansasleader.com Deadline to advertise in Friday's issue is 5 p.m. Tuesday.

The Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office is a source of supply for reusing assets that have become surplus to the need of the DOD, and they are free issue. There must be a valid unit requirement and an authorization letter on file with the 19th Logistics Readiness Squadron Customer Service. Check out DRMO inventories on the Internet by going to www.drms.dla.mil and using the Reutilization/Transfer/Donation Customers, then “DOD Property search” option. For more information please contact 19th LRS Customer Service at 987-3034 or 987-6201.

AIRNMAN’S ATTIC INFORMATION

For any questions regarding the Airman’s Attic call Gennifer Terry at 501-952-4649.

TORNADO SIREN PROCEDURES

Little Rock AFB has modified its tornado siren procedures. The new procedures will sound the Giant Voice siren continuously when an imminent threat to the base is detected.

Upon hearing the siren, immediately seek shelter and stay there until the siren ceases. Contact 19th CES Emergency Management at 501-987-7610 if you have any further questions.

SCHOOL AGED PHYSICALS

School-aged physicals are available at the medical group for the school year. If schools require a special form, patients must bring it with them to the appointment. Parents must also bring a copy of their child’s shot records.

In order to get an appointment at the medical group, patients must be enrolled for care with Little Rock Air Force Base medical clinic. Those enrolled to an off-base provider must see them for care. Patients being seen off-base who would like to enroll at the medical group to take advantage of this service can stop by the Tricare Service Center.

Note: For individuals who have completed well appointments recently with normal results, the SF600 signed by the provider used during this visit can be used for the purpose of the physical. However, if a particular form is needed by the school, please drop it off at the Pediatric front desk. It will be processed and patients will receive a call back when it’s ready for pick-up.

For children who will participate in a sports activity or needs a school-aged physical, it is best to schedule early to avoid a possible delay as appointments are based on provider availability and mission requirements. Patients can book their sports physical online at www.tricare.mil. Make sure to select the “school physical” visit reason.

If an appointment can’t be located online, call the appointment line at 987-8811.

Walk-in physical days are offered in the afternoons at the Family Health/Pediatric Clinic on the following days: Thursday. Hours are 1 – 3:30 p.m.

Last weekend, I sat on my patio winding down from a busy week. I watched some long needed rain fall to the ground, and took time to reflect on the many changes of command ceremonies I’ve attended here at Little Rock Air Force Base this summer. The most recent one took place just last Friday, one of the last of such ceremonies scheduled for this summer. As I continued to watch the rain I thought it was almost as if the gentle rain falling was symbolic of a calm “end of a season” for these notable Team Little Rock events.

I’d like to take this opportunity to share a few personal thoughts and observations on these recent change of command ceremonies, offer my sincere thanks to outgoing commanders for what they’ve done, and to give a warm welcome to all the incoming commanders.

First, nearly half of all Team Little Rock squadron, group, and wing commanders have turned over the reins of their units to new leaders over the last few months. While this dynamic certainly offers us all significant challenges, make no mistake about it, TLR is absolutely resilient! To every TLR member’s credit, we have not missed a beat. Our Airmen continue to do a phenomenal job day in and day out executing our mission, training, and providing tactical combat airlift for the combatant commanders. That speaks volumes for all of us here at the “Rock.” Our local community members are proud of us, and we are the envy of everyone in the United States Air Force.

I’m sure we are all well aware that change of command ceremonies are “bittersweet,” and far too often they seem to come too quickly. What we must also realize is there is goodness that comes with that seemingly rapid turnover of our senior leaders. The ongoing influx of new leaders brings in new ideas and leadership perspectives that help keep our organizations refreshed, vibrant, and alive.

As expected, every TLR change of command ceremony I attended was similar in format and conformed to tradition. However, each and every commander’s shared perspective and comments were unique, each heartfelt and each personal. Storytelling ran rampant, laughter was abundant, and tears were plentiful.

Every single outgoing commander expressed how overwhelmed they were and how extremely proud they were of their Airmen. Each gave all the credit for their unit’s incredible successes and accomplishments to the unit members and their families, and they all thanked their spouses and immediate family members for their love, many sacrifices and unwavering support. Many also said the things they treasured most from their time in command were the relationships and partnerships that developed along the way, and the way their units came together and supported each other as a family in times of need. Finally, they often extended their heartfelt thanks to their Airmen for the honored privilege of being their leader.

Incoming commanders were humble and to the point. They consistently expressed how grateful they were for their opportunities, and how they were looking forward to working with their new teams. They were all eager to step up to the plate and get to work.

To me, it has never been clearer. TLR has been blessed with outstanding commanders at every level! God bless these men and women and their families. They sacrifice much and give “their all” to their chance to lead. Their focus is on the “mission” and “people.” TLR, rest assured you and your families mean the world to your commanders!

Outgoing commanders, I thank each one of you for your exceptional leadership and all that you’ve done for us. You will be missed.

Incoming commanders, I welcome each of you! All of TLR embraces you. We thank you in advance for what you are about to do. We look forward to your leadership and great success.

The 2012 Little Rock Air Force Base Open House and Air Show is scheduled to be held Sept. 8 and 9. Though the summer season will be “officially” over, the summer temperature will not. With hundreds of thousands of people expected to attend from all areas of Arkansas and surrounding states, hydration, shade, and traffic are the main safety concerns.

Lt. Col. Mike Kirby, Air Show director, offers his four acres of shade to everyone who is planning to attend the event.

“Located inside the four acres of shade will be the Air Expo Center,” said Kirby. “In the center, there will be a continuous concert going on with various bands playing such as the Ladies for Liberty. Five hundred seats will be available inside, and there will be a breeze flowing in because the doors will remain open. There will be commercial vendors attending and informational booths.

The Wildlife Parks and Refuge are going to have a 50,000-gallon fish tank set up. There will be military working dog demonstrations going on, and the Army will also have displays set up. Blue Bell ice cream will also be giving away ice cream samples.

So, you’ll be able to walk around, see the displays, and hear the bands play. This gives the audience a chance to get away from the heat for a little bit but still be involved in the show. The Air Expo Center is adjacent to the main show, and there will be an announcer constantly informing the audience of the schedule of performances and events.”

The center will be open from the opening of the Air Show to an hour after the show ends. There will be a band scheduled to play after the Blue Angels’ performance, so if there are people who want to stay behind and let some of the traffic congestion lighten up, that is an option.

Kirby said he is very excited about this year’s Air Show. He said he is highly anticipating the performance of the Blue Angels.

“I am very excited about the Blue Angels,” he said. “They’re one of the best jet-demo teams in the world. We are very fortunate to have a huge crowd from Arkansas and the surrounding states. We expect somewhere between 225,000 to 250,000 people over the two days. We’re also excited because we’ve been selected for several high-profile demo teams. The Canadian F-18 demo team is coming down; the Navy is also bringing their F-18 down. We were selected by the Air National Guard to have their jet truck to perform as well. They don’t appear at every show. They only come to the big ones.”

As big as the names of the performances are, the concern for keeping the audience hydrated is even bigger. At previous air shows, mist tents and water fountains were available at numerous locations. Kirby said plans are still being developed to ensure there are plenty options to locate water.

“We are still working out the details on the mist tents. There will be some available, however. We have tripled the number of water fountains available along the flight line. Every one of our main fire hydrants will have six water fountains associated with it.”

Along with a safety message for staying hydrated, Kirby also advises those attending the show to take care of their skin and to also leave any suspicious personal items they don’t want confiscated at home.

“We are encouraging everyone to bring a disposable, refillable plastic water bottle,” he said. “Also bring sunscreen, lawn chairs andcomfortable walking shoes. Everyone will be screened by magnetrons, and there will be random vehicle searches. Absolutely no weapons will be allowed, even in the vehicles. Not even a pocket knife.”

Having an expectation of 225,000 to 250,000 people, there will definitely be some traffic. Kirby suggests carpooling and arriving early to relieve some of the congestion at the gates.

“If you can carpool, that will be a great idea,” he said. “Even if you have to park outside the gate and then group up, that will be better. It helps on the way in and especially on the way out because everyone arrives over three hours and wants to leave over thirty minutes. Get there and get in line early. The gates open at 8:30 a.m. The show starts at 10 a.m. We are flying away a majority of our airplanes to allow space for parking. Most people will be parked right on the flight line. The others will park in our overflow parking areas on base, and will be shuttled to the flight line. It’s about a five minute bus ride.”

Once everyone is parked and on the base, Kirby said to make sure children stay close with their parents.

“Develop a plan with them just in case they get lost,” he said. “Find someone in uniform if they do. We have a system in place for anyone who gets lost. We will have persons with radios, and there will be a rally point where lost individuals will be told to go. There will be public service announcements made to inform everyone that a person is located at that point.” The Little Rock AFB Air Show is a free public event. Today is the last day to buy a $15 ticket for reserved seating, which will be directly in front of the Blue Angels. The reserved seating will also offer assigned seating and access to a shaded area with tables and chairs where one can eat. After today sales go up to $20 until the day of the show and then it will be $30. There will be 1,200 seats available for sale. To order tickets and/or for more information on the 2012 Air Show, visit www.littlerockairshow.com

As the morning light signals the start of a new day, military members must prepare for the blistering heat of the summer sun. After the sun rises, the heat becomes more unbearable to people working outside. Then temperatures increase, and the dangers of heat exhaustion, dehydration and sun stroke increase as well. Knowing how to manage the heat and how to respond in case of a heat related emergency can greatly reduce the risk of heat related incidents.

Although some may say they have grown accustomed to working in the summer heat at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., risks are still prevalent. Many people do not realize they are suffering from heat-related incidents until it is too late. Heat related injuries include heat exhaustion, heat stroke, sunburn and dehydration.

Some signs of dehydration are thirst, loss of appetite, dry skin, dry mouth, fatigue and chills. Left untreated dehydration can result in fatality. Another way to test for dehydration is checking skin turgor. To check skin turgor, pinch the skin on the back of the hand and pull up. If the skin stays up, dehydration has set in. Immediately hydrate with water or any sports drink to replenish electrolytes into the body. This simple test will show how much elasticity has left the skin because of dehydration.

To help prevent heat related incidents, the Air Force uses a heat stress index. The heat stress index provides a guideline for heat conditions and recommended work-rest cycles. Although this provides guidance for airmen, it is up to the judgment of supervisors whether the work warrants breaks according to the recommended activity level of the heat stress index. The heat stress index is categorized into five stages, stage one being the coolest and stage five being the hottest.

Supervisors play an important role in making sure Airmen are properly hydrated and helping them avoid heat related incidents, said Joe Wooding, a 19th Airlift Wing ground safety technician. Making sure troops are getting adequate breaks and are provided ample opportunities to hydrate is a very important factor in preventing heat related injuries.

During the summer months, it is especially important for Air Force members to maintain hydration while exercising, said Wooding.

“I would definitely recommend organized PT very early in the morning or later in the evening,” said Wooding. “Definitely don’t PT right in the heat of the day.”

Although heat related incidents occur during normal duty hours, Wooding said the majority of heat related incidents for base members occur during non-duty hours. A mixture of outdoor activities, alcohol and no supervision can result in a dangerous combination. People enjoying the summer often do not stop to hydrate adequately or consume too much alcohol, resulting in severe dehydration or worse.

“Hydration is key,” said Wooding. “you need to have the designated sober guy. Somebody that’s paying attention to what’s going on around them and taking care of their wingman.”

Another heat related incident is sunburn. Outdoor activities that involve water often result in the worst cases of sunburn, said Wooding. Anyone enjoying the summer sun should make sure to use sunscreen with at least Air Force recommended SPF 15.

Whether working on the flight line in the blazing sun or enjoying a nice day with friends and family on the lake, protecting your skin from the sun and staying hydrated are pertinent to staying healthy. During the hottest days of the year, remember to always stay hydrated. Taking the proper safety measure and learning the signs and symptoms of heat stress and dehydration can prevent an accident, or save a life.

Friday, July 13, 2012

In 1995 in America, most 6-year-old boys spent their days picking on 6-year-old girls or mimicking and idolizing the Power Rangers, and characters from Dragon Ball Z and the World Wrestling Foundation. For 6-year-old Muhamed Mehmedovic, escaping to safety from tanks through the woods with his father and thousands of men in Bosnia was his daily routine after a war started three years earlier.

Senior Airman Muhamed Mehmedovic, a 19th Logistic Readiness Squadron air transportation journeyman, said the United States saved his and his family’s life when they air dropped food and medical supplies during the war, where genocide was committed against his people. This action from the U.S. resulted in Mehmedovic’s inspiration to become a pilot and pay homage to the country that was a significant part in giving his family a better life.

“I originally wanted to be a pilot and pursue education,” he said, “but more importantly, to give back to the country of the United States. They gave so much to my family, and they ultimately saved my life. I feel like I owe that to the U.S.”

Mehmedovic said that during the conflict between Serbians and Bosnians, his hometown of Srebrenica was destroyed. Genocide was committed against the Muslim population where he lived. And even after the war ended, the area was still in crisis.

“During this time frame, our hometown was cut off from supplies, military power coming in and food,” Mehmedovic said. “There was a huge starvation timeframe then and the way the United States helped us was by providing air drop. They air dropped tons and tons of food, supplies and medical equipment constantly between 1992 and 1995. My dad and other family members went out to retrieve these items that were in bundles on pallets dropped from C-130s. Ultimately their actions saved my life. So many of the people there live off of agriculture, but the supplies and livestock quickly depleted. The majority of the area was targeted by tanks, so many of the livestock died. We didn’t live in our house because it was hit by a tank. We were living from one cousin’s house to another cousin’s house.” Mehmedovic said traveling from family to family was a struggle. It was not only his immediate family: his mother, father and brother, his grandmother who had five sons and two daughters, were traveling as well.

“We were targeted by military,” said Mehmedovic. “They would shoot at us, and we would try to fight back. We could not win the war; we were just trying to survive. The Serbians were after our males. Killing off the males would prevent future generations, which would force the Muslim population to marry into Protestants. Serbians were mostly Protestants. We would have to marry into another culture, which would ultimately wipe us out. After everything was said and done, 8,000 people died in my town. Those 8,000 accounted were only the people who were found. About 80 percent of my family was a part of that 8,000.”Because the Serbians were not after women, Mehmedovic said males were forced to flee through the woods and find a safe place or town, which was Tuzla in this case. As they went through the woods, the men, including Mehmedovic’s dad and his brothers had to fight the military. The area was mined. Out of Mehmedovic’s grandmother’s five sons, his dad and only one of his brothers made it to Tuzla. Women and small children were shuttled there. Elderly men were killed off.

“We escaped to Tuzla and were sponsored by the locals there,” said Mehmedovic. “We lived in their houses from 1995 to 2002. I was 13 years old then. Around the year 2000, there was a program that was allowing immigrants who no longer had a home because of the war to come to the United States and start a new life. We didn’t have an option to go back. Even if we did, there was nothing to go back to. No people. Nothing. It was disserted.”

Once Mehmedovic’s family applied for this program, they did everything necessary to become approved such as doing numerous interviews, saving money and moving to another location. They applied in 2000 and would have left in 2001, but because of 9/11, they were delayed until May of 2002. In 2002 they were sent to St. Louis and were sponsored by their cousins who had made it to American six months prior.

When he first got to America, Mehmedovic said it was a culture shock.

“The school systems were different,” he said. “The streets were different. To me all the houses looked exactly alike. I wanted to be here because I saw the great opportunities. It’s much better than what we came from. The biggest thing for me was that there was food. You can go to the store and pick up anything you want… any time of the year and take it home. You don’t have to wait for a certain season to have bananas. It was worth everything to get here. I felt like, now we have this sense of safety for once, I knew my parents still worried about the people we left behind because they’re still struggling. We constantly try and help our families out whose back in Bosnia by sending money. My parents have gone back a couple times.”

Mehmedovic said he and his brother both went to school. He started eighth grade in America. He said all he was trying to do was get the basics down, like learning English and getting prepared for high school.

“The school system in Bosnia is tough; I was a straight A student,” Mehmedovic said. “Coming here English was my biggest challenge, (none of his family spoke English when they first arrived). Compliments to my teachers, I had the basics down within three months. I could communicate and go to school and also help my parents get around.”

Mehmedovic started high school in 2004. Not only did he continue with good grades, but he was also a part of the wrestling team, played soccer occasionally and worked at Best Buy.“I knew I wanted to be a pilot, but not a military pilot. I meet a lot of retirees at Best Buy. They told me that the Air Force was an option. I didn’t know this was an option for me. The challenge for me was, ‘how do I tell my parents that even though we just left a war and all these bad things and we’re safe and life is good, that I want to join the United States Air Force, and I have no guarantee that I’m not going to be deployed or ever be shot at.’ My brother supported me all the way. My dad, who was a solider in Yugoslavia, supported me and advised me to be smart, do the right things and follow orders. My mother, who worked for a company that manufactured Airman Battle Uniforms and Army equipment, cried. She only knew to expect the worst.”

Before Mehmedovic told his family of what he wanted to do, his mind was already made up. He had already signed all the papers and had already gone to the Military Entrance Processing Station.

“I was just waiting to be called and go,” he said. “I graduated from high school in May. I signed the papers in June or July. I told my parents in July and I left in October.” After four years of being in the Air Force, Mehmedovic said it’s been great.

“My family has struggled, and we’ve had good times. Right now… at this point, the circle is being completed. This is where I want to be. I’m connecting the dots. This is how my life has come around. I joined as air transportation. One of the biggest ariel delivery squadrons is here. This is where all the riggers receive their training on how to properly put the parachutes on, properly rig the food, and put it on aircraft for it to be dropped in a specific location. I was given an opportunity to receive that training to be qualified to prepare the food that will ultimately drop to someone who needs it.”

Mehmedovic will be leaving for deployment in the fall and when he returns, he will begin his training on properly preparing food for airdrop delivery.

“I am very excited. The motivation is high. I definitely cannot wait to begin. I know it makes a difference. I know that somebody’s life will be changed.”

Mehmedovic said that those flyers who dropped food and medical supplies those many years ago may never know the effects of what they did, but it made a difference. He said no one should ever feel that they’re job is insignificant. Everyone’s job plays a little role into the big picture.

“Your job matters and it makes a difference no matter what your job is in the Air Force,” he said. “In my case, someone’s job made a great difference in my life and families’ life. In St. Louis alone, there are thousands of Bosnians there because of what someone did. My story is just one of them.”

Mehmedovic said he is grateful to the Air Force and the opportunities it has brought his family.

“I definitely want to stay in the Air Force,” he said. “I just tested this year for staff sergeant. I studied and have high hopes for making it. Being in the Air Force gave me many opportunities that bettered me. Looking back from the high school kid I was to now, I’m a whole different person. And I like what I’m becoming. I want future generations to see the transformation of me. I want to make a difference, and the best way I know how to do that is by staying in.”

Whether it’s visiting family or lending a helping hand, Mehmedovic said he will definitely go back to Bosnia. Mehmedovic’s family is doing well and is hopeful as their lives continue to go on in America.

“My family is doing very good. This is something that I speak very proudly of. Coming here without being able to speak any English, my parents, brother and I are all speaking English, or at least the basics. My family has owned a trucking company, and are still in the trucking business, which is kind of like logistics, which is what I’m doing,” he laughed. “We have our own house, and I’m an uncle now. My family is growing here in America.”

Mehmedovic said he will continue to tell his story, not to dwell on the heartache and pain of it, but to celebrate the triumph of survival and moving forward.

“My story will go on. I will try to use my story to motivate others. I will try to use it positively. It happened. You can’t take it back; you can only make a difference going forward. This is my story. How many stories do you think are going on right now? We are all the same. We all have the same power to make a difference, and that’s what I want to do.”

The Fourth of July is a time to celebrate Independence Day and the birth of the United States of America. It’s the time of year when family and friends barbeque, watch fireworks and have fun.

This Year’s Fourthth of July Celebration on Little Rock Air Force Base took place at the base lake and featured events that families could have fun with such as the Slippery Rock Water Park, iron crafter, Air Mobility Command Icon show, and the bike parade. Due to the fire ban in the state of Arkansas, this year’s celebration didn’t include fireworks.

The Slippery Rock Water Park consisted of a bouncy castle, water slide, dunk tank, slip n’ slide, and a water park for toddlers. Kids received a punch card and if they had at least five stations punched they received a free T-shirt.

Iron crafter was a competition that was a play-off of iron chef where families and friends could make arts and crafts using a secret ingredient. The competition was broken down into three rounds. The first round was a team competition, the second was for females, and the third was for males.

The Air Mobility Command Icon show is the Air Force version of American Idol. Nine contestants participated in the show, with the first place active duty winner going to compete at the Air Force level. The winners were: Dawn Zangerle (first), Staff Sgt. Tiry Crane, 314th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (second), and Tiffany Langbehn (third).

The bike parade was held so kids could decorate their bikes and then ride through the event.

Even with no fireworks this year many families still enjoyed the celebrations provided on base.

“We are just going to hang out here (on base), enjoy the festivities, and go home and barbeque.” said Staff Sgt. Jennifer Fiandt, a 19th Force Support Squadron professional military education instructor.

“We enjoyed the Slippery Rock Water Park,” said Fiandt.

During the Fourth of July some families also like to remember and think about the country‘s past.

“It’s a great time to think about what we’ve accomplished as a country ... how we are bettering ourselves as a country,” said Lt. Col. Michael Nelson, 62nd Airlift Squadron commander. Nelson and his family also had a BBQ during the Fourth of July break.

The Fourth of July is a time to BBQ and to get together with family and friends. But it is also a time to celebrate independence day. Despite not having any fireworks on base families and friends of Team Little Rock still had fun at the Fourth of July celebration held at the base lake.

Little Rock Air Force Base received 721 iPads, to be used as electronic flight bags, for its C-130 aircrews July 2, 2012, as part of Air Mobility Command’s effort to reduce paper waste and costs by replacing flight bags and the loads of paperwork they hold with the electronic tablets.

This marks the beginning of a six-month trial period where aircrew members will be able to store publications and other paperwork electronically on the devices, rather than carrying them on-board in a flight bag. The tablets are scheduled to become ubiquitous across the base by December.

Moving from a paper-based electronic flight publication system to an electronically based system can not only improve operational efficiency and safety, it can save the Department of Defense significant time and money.

“A publication bag can weight anywhere from 60-80 pounds,” said Master Sgt. Brandon Bowers, a 19th Operations Group evaluator flight engineer. “Just one of them costs more than an Ipad. The tablets will give us more information with less weight, while saving money and conserving resources.”

Every aircrew member will eventually have one of these tablets for duty, if everything goes as planned, but right now the base is just a leading unit for the testing phase of the plan, and unforeseen circumstances could impede progress.

The tablets were presented months after the Air Force awarded a $9.6 million contract, giving them the option to buy as many as 18,000 of the tablets if they choose to do that. By replacing the flight bags and the piles of paperwork they amass, with the electronic devices.

Annual Mobility Air Forces savings estimates for the required flight documents paper printing and distribution are approximately $5 million annually. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the Air Force Materiel Command are responsible for printing and distribution of the required paper aeronautical documents needed by the Air Force’s flying crews.

According to Letitia Long, NGA Director, the Air Forces are the agency’s largest account holder, with a total annual budget for flight paper of $20-24 million.

By moving to an electronic format, a significant annual savings for the DoD Enterprise can be realized.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

This article focuses on the most important and infallible tenants of leadership, leading by example and the use of a merit based system as a means to select the best of the best for recognition, reward and promotion.

By not following these two tenants, you cheapen the Air Force Experience for all those duty bound to follow your lead and contribute to our mission. The negative effect of unfair leadership will kill morale, which will increase the likelihood of accidents and turn our Airmen off. We hire the best America has to offer.

The majority of our members join with an expectation they will be part of a great organization and will be able to realize their professional goals. Our Airmen deserve great leadership and a fair, unbiased system for recognition and advancement.

Fortunately and unfortunately, we are allowed to have different leadership styles when we begin our supervisory and leadership portion of our careers. We all have what we think is the right leadership style, but we should realize not every situation or person fits just one style. Additionally, we should be aware, in our perfect world, we are the only person who can be perfectly happy.

We’re all very busy in today’s Air Force, but we need to try our best when we make decisions affecting the lives and careers of our Airmen and their families. We need to put ourselves in our subordinates’ shoes before we make decisions, particularly if we are emotionally charged.

I consider developing our Airmen and pushing them toward their goals as the most important and rewarding aspect of leadership. Leaders need to inspire our Airmen to move outside their comfort zone so they grow beyond their own expectations. We need to encourage a small degree of calculated risk, while providing oversight to safeguard from mission failure and more importantly, irreversible consequences, such as injury or professional setback. We need to be willing to take responsibility for our Airmen’s failures and help them learn from mistakes versus fearful to make them.

The Air Force consistently gets rated as the most respected profession in our country. Our uniform is acknowledged with respect and our Airmen are paid gratitude by the people they protect. We recruit the best and brightest young people from all walks of life throughout our country.

We, as leaders, need to keep the promise of our heritage and visibly lead by our core values. To not hold ourselves to a higher standard than we require, hurts our unit and is not the way it’s supposed to be.

Seventy-seven acres of real estate on Little Rock Air Force Base including more than 200 vacant old housing units, are being excavated and removed with a long-term goal of using the land for the community with facilities like schools, playgrounds or sports parks.

Officials from the 19th Civil Engineer Squadron engineering flight said proposals for using the acreage post-demolition aren’t concrete, but the methods of removing the materials and clearing the land will save the Air Force money and be friendlier to the environment.

The process of taking the land from laden with old infrastructure and all of its materials to a green pasture would normally cost the Air Force, and its contractors, plenty of money. For this project, the Air Force used a selective demolition plan, a nontraditional way of excavating land that aims to recycle/reuse materials, diverting costs of transportation and other fees customary in a demolition project.

So far the project has been a resounding success, said Michael Boyle, the 19th CES chief of engineering.

“We’ve saved 40 percent more money than we would have doing the demolition the traditional way,” he said.

A big part of the savings comes from something called cost diversion, said Dave Wagler, the 19th CES project manager. A big chunk of the cost diversion comes from reusing materials, like asphalt, glass and wood, that would otherwise be sent to a landfill, at a cost.

“Our goal is to get a lot of these materials away from the landfill,” said Wagler. “CES is tearing down a lot of structures, and that makes for a lot of scraps or materials. Just getting a dump truck to transport a load full of materials can run anywhere from $400-600. We’re saving lots of money by recycling, and it shows our commitment to the environment.”

On top of the money saved by diverting costs for transporting the large amounts of asphalt and roof shingles that will be demolished, there will also be approximately 80 workers from Habitat for Humanity who will remove scraps from the old buildings, such as the glass from windows, to be reused on future houses, saving the Air Force money and donating to a humanitarian cause.

The money saved is an appealing part of the project, said Boyle. However, the end goal of it is to give something to the community on and around base.

“The goal is for the community to get a product,” he said. “Right now nothing is concrete, but the goal is for the area to become community related area.”

What “community related area” means could range from school buildings, a new consolidated education center or new facilities for the charter school on base, to any number of recreational amenities like soccer fields, splash parks, play grounds or jungle gyms. Boyle said there is more than enough room for many of these proposed ideas to be erected.

“Seventy-seven acres is a lot to play with,” he said. “It’s our goal to renovate this area and give it back to the community.”

The Hungry Herc POD – short for provisions on demand, is a bigger, better and healthier dining alternative to the flight kitchen for maintainers and other members who work on the flightline.

Inside the Hungry Herc is a variety of food choices such as, fresh salads, wraps and sandwiches such as ham on white and turkey on wheat. The POD also offers different fruit options like grapes, pineapples, cantaloupe, and some snacks like chips, cookies and muffins. There’s also a cappuccino machine and refrigerated drinks. One choice available that was not available in the flight kitchen is an area where hot meals will be served.

“With the POD, there’s a lot more variety than the old flight kitchen,” said Tech. Sgt. Curtis Moore, headquarters personnel center/services at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. “We hope that this change will have a positive effect just as it has for the other bases that have PODs already,” he said. “We want the POD to make it easier and more accessible for flight line workers to get their meals.”

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, everyone involved seem pleased with the results from the fruits of their labor. Tech. Sgt. Anthony Hutton, 19th Force Support Squadron and POD manager, said planning, preparing and constructing the POD took about one month from start to finish.

“This process took from May 29 to June 26,” he said, “and now today we’re at the ribbon cutting. It took a lot of hard work from a lot of good people. I am very pleased with the turnout of the POD. I hope it’s appreciated.”

Some Airmen have already begun to express appreciation. Airman 1st Class Keith Turner, 19th Equipment Maintenance Squadron aerodynamic repair crew chief, said the POD is much bigger than the flight kitchen they were used to.

“It looks a whole lot better in here,” hesaid as he walked around the facility for the first time. “These choices are much better than the little brown bags we used to get with maybe a sandwich, chips, some kind of chocolate and juice or water in them. I feel really good about this. I will definitely be here more often to eat.”

The only difference Turner said he prefers from the flight kitchen is the 24/7 hours of operation. The Hungry Herc is open Monday - Friday from 6 a.m. to midnight.

The base commander said the POD is another food transformation initiative that satisfies the needs of flightline Airmen hungry for more choices.

“The POD is a great result of initiatives between the 19th FSS and Aramark for delivering food transformation initiatives and results here at Team Little Rock,” said Col. Brian Robinson, 19th Airlift Wing commander. “This POD is the first of its kind for Air Mobility Command in the sense that it’s three times larger than the previous flagship POD at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. The POD is meant to be closer to where people work particularly our maintainers, so you can get in here and get some food of your choice and liking. And if you want to get something sweet, that’s in there too.”

Like all base FTI facilities, the Hungry Herc POD is open to everyone and is another dining option for Airmen on the meal card.